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Chapter Four
Vampires at Sea Risk and Reward Vampires have a bit more to consider if they want to be involved in the naval life much of their food so loves to enjoy. They can't expose themselves to the sun, must sleep during the day, and they must have a steady food source in a confined area without gaining suspicious. In addition, the question of what exactly there is to gain from the sea, socially and economically, for a vampire must be asked as well. While all of these things makes their job significantly more difficult, it isn't impossible. After all, where humans go, vampires are sure to follow. Cruises It is known that vampires mingle with high society, and as consequence, more then a few Daeva and Ventrue have been invited to cruises to exotic places. And what if a few locals in the Caribbean go missing? Well the crew seems fine. Now there is a danger to this, and that is you have to make sure said cruise is offering activities at night, and if it does, then who would fault you for spending to much time for sleeping in the day after a night of partying? Even if there are a lot of people on the ship, a vampire must be weary to keep her victims alive during the stay on the cruise. It is not easy to escape a ship should the masquerade get broken there, and the masquerade is a delicate thing while staying in such a confined area. But should the vampire drain some locals during their stops a little too dry, why they might not even realize it before they've already set sail. Shipping Industry and Tourism A few of the clans and covenants are known to be drawn towards business and, as a result, one should not be surprised to learn that shipping businesses often fall under more then a few vampires' control. A vampire may not go to the sea himself, but he will deal with it as it is part of his business should it gain him money to fuel other schemes. There is also another industry that has some connections to the sea, and that is tourism. Many tourists will come to beaches, cruise destinations, and so forth, looking for a good time. and more then a few of them leave a bit more then just drained. Piracy and Smuggling Piracy and smuggling is alive and well in the modern era. It is something that a few enterprising vampires have been known to take a part in. In war torn areas of the world, a local warlord might happen to be a vampire or be controlled by a vampire. Though he is not a pirate himself, he benefits by the pirates smuggling goods back to him and people for him to feed upon. However one need not go to war-torn places for vampires to do the same thing. After all in the 1800s sailors did practice [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghaiing shanghaiing], but many people living in modern first-world countries would be surprised to learn that [https://www.sevenstories.com/books/3915-the-dead-eye-and-the-deep-blue-sea the practice continues to this day] in many parts of the world. Covenants and the Sea Circle of Crone In more then a few circles, this covenant has been known to worship ancient deities, and a number of them are deities of the sea. Dark, bloody pagan sacrifices are sometimes done for these deities in exchange for powerful abilities or ancient secrets long buried underneath the murky depths. The deity in question does depend on the region, but the practices are inevitable blood offerings to the sea. Ordo Dracul Because they seek to understand the vampiric condition, more than a few members of the Order have decided that they should study the effects of the ocean on the Damned, both physical and psychological. Vampires, after all, do not need to breathe: perhaps this could be taken advantage of? Who knows how many answers may be hidden beneath the waves that cover so much of this planet? Werewolves at Sea Risk and Reward Father Neptune's Gifts: Sea Magic Gifts of the Reef The Uratha rarely have call to travel beneath the waters. A pack lives and dies by their territory, few see honour or cause to vanish beneath the sea for extended periods. Yet when a pack discovers a powerful Locus under the waters bordering their seaside territory, when a powerful Magath threatens the pack safe from an underwater home. That's when the sons of Father Wolf call on the Spirits that prowl the depths and ask for Gifts. To survive in the lands beneath the waves were it is not natural for a wolf to travel the Uratha seek the strength of the sea's apex predators. The trials demanded for these Gifts are violent, blood-soaked affairs. Hammerhead's Nose (•) A Werewolf's smell is one of her most powerful weapons. At sea she is blind and even over land rain or running water can wash away the trail. The sharks have no such weakness, their nose has adapted for under the water and can track even the faintest trace of blood. When a Werewolf learns this gift She no longer suffers any penalty from the presence of water when trying to smell, above land she ignores penalties when prey crosses a stream or for tracking in heavy rain. Underwater, it's a Gift she can track by smell at all. There is no cost or roll for this Gift, it is a permeation change to the Werewolf's abilities. Any Spirit of aquatic life with a good sense of smell can teach this Gift. Ceaseless Momentum. (••) Many deep sea fish never stop moving, even asleep they are in motion. A Werewolf who learns the trick of it can slowly build up the speed to hunt down even the fastest of prey. Every turn the Werewolf is moving at his maximum Speed, modified or otherwise, he increases his speed by one to a maximum of twice his unmodified Speed. It is important to note that this power is up to twice the unmodified Speed, supernatural or even mundane problems, such as heavy armor, that slow him down mean that it takes longer for the werewolf to reach this Gift's full potential. They do not decrease his maximum speed. This Gift may not be used in conjunction with Father Wolf's Speed or similar speed enhancing Gifts. If the Werewolf stops moving, even for a turn, all bonuses from this Gift vanish and must be built up again. This power lasts for one scene. '''Cost:''' 1 Essence '''Dice pool:''' This power needs no roll. '''Action:''' Reflexive Any deep sea fish that never stops moving can teach this gift. Feeding Frenzy (•••) A Werewolf might fear the rage beating within her heart, but she hasn't understood the madness that can live within a beast until she has taken this Gift and drawn the sharks' unholy hunger into her own Belly. With Feeding Frenzy a Werewolf can gain Essence from eating any living meat they can get their jaws around, rather than just Humans. Spirits, the undead and Prometheans still don't qualify though. '''Cost:''' None '''Dice Pool:''' Stamina + Survival + Cunning '''Action:''' Instant '''Dramatic Failure:''' The Gift successfully activates and the Werewolf immediately suffers two points of bashing damage as though she had gone several days without food. Worse, she immediately falls into Kuruth and attempts to devour anything within sight. Willpower cannot be spent to resist Kuruth. '''Failure:''' The Werewolf immediately suffers two points of bashing damage as though she had gone several days without food. While she doesn’t have to check for Kuruth, at least not immediately, it takes a successful Resolve + Composure roll not to start eating. No roll is required if there's no food, or if the only food is people. Unless there Werewolf makes a habit of eating people that is. If the Werewolf has any meat in her jaws, including after a successful bite attack, she rolls to resist swallowing with a -3 penalty. '''Success:''' The Werewolf's stomach empties and her teeth itch with anticipation for the kill. She suffers the same penalties as with a Failure but also gains the benefits of this Gift. Every three points of Lethal Damage inflicted with the intent of eating flesh grants one point of Essence. Humans still give one point of Essence per point of damage. Essence acquired from this Gift always has a resonance of Hunger. This power lasts one Scene. Ending it early requires a point of Essence and a successful activation roll, with the usual penalties for failure. '''Drawback:''' The hunger of the shark is truly insatiable. For every individual creature the Werewolf eats with the intention of gaining essence she must roll to resist Death Rage with a penalty equal to the amount of Essence she has gained from this Gift within the last 24 hours. If she enters Kuruth she immediately attempts to devour everything in sight. She does gain Essence from any meat eaten during Kuruth. '''Exceptional Success:''' The Gift activates without causing any damage. The Werewolf will not need to roll to resist eating until she has her jaws around some meat, then she rolls without penalty to resist swallowing. Even on an exceptional Exceptional Successes the Werewolf must roll to resist Kuruth after every kill, as with a regular success. '''Suggested Modifiers:''' The Werewolf has fed recently (+2), the Werewolf activates this Gift while hungry (-1 to -5 after going a whole day without food), the Werewolf can smell blood (-2) Only powerful Spirits of creatures prone to a feeding frenzy can teach this Gift. Water's Breath. (••••) All life came from the sea. Deep within each and every one of us is memories of those ancient days, how to swim, how to breath beneath the waves. '''Cost:''' 2 Essence '''Dice Pool''': Stamina + Survival + Purity '''Action''': Instant '''Dramatic Failure:''' The Werewolf immediately begins choking as he looses the ability to breath for 6 – Stamina rounds. '''Failure:''' The Gift does not activate. '''Success:''' The Werewolf enormously increases his lung capacity. Underwater he can hold his breath for 10 times the listed amount due to Stamina. This Gift grants no additional ability to hold his breath on land. In addition while underwater he can reflexively spend one Essence to gain the ability to breath water for a moment. Just long enough to refill his lungs to their full capacity. These enhanced lungs last for the scene. '''Exceptional Success:''' The effects of this Gift last until the next moonrise. If the moon has already risen or will rise during the scene it lasts until tomorrow night's moonrise. (New Moon still counts). Spirits of water breathing life or water itself can teach this gift. Finding an aquatic spirit powerful enough to teach a four dot Gift that cannot easily escape into the water is rare, most werewolves must settle for a spirit that doesn't want to run. Presumably because it prefers to fight. Gaping Maw (•••••) The wolf hunts and the wolf honors the hunt. It respects its prey. The shark, the shark merely feeds. The ultimate Gift of the Reef teaches this terrible empty philosophy. '''Cost:''' 3 Essence '''Dice Pool:''' Strength + Brawl + Glory '''Action:''' Instant '''Dramatic Failure:''' Although the Gift activates the Werewolf immediately falls into Kuruth and attempts to devour anything within sight. Willpower cannot be spent to resist Kuruth. '''Failure:''' The Gift fails to activate and the Werewolf must roll to resist Death Rage. '''Success:''' The Gift successfully activates. Every turn that the Werewolf attacks her claws and teeth increase their damage rating to a maximum of Primal Urge + Glory Damage. Any turn where the Werewolf dose not attack someone or move at maximum speed towards her nearest opponent resents her claws and teeth to their natural damage rating. In Death Rage this Gift is even more potent, the Damage rating rises by 2 per turn to the same limit. '''Drawback:''' The Werewolf still has to roll to resist Death Rage when activating this Gift. So long as the Gift is active she has no Defense, she can still make All-Out Attacks and Charge Attacks but more intricate moves which sacrifice Defense are beyond her. '''Exceptional Success:''' The Gift activates, no roll is required for resisting Death Rage. The Spirit of any aquatic apex predator can teach this gift. Mages at Sea Risk and Reward Shades of Atlantis Mages have plenty of reasons to look to the ocean, not least are never-noted Atlantean ruins (after all, Plato ''did'' say it sank beneath the waves). Deep in the tides' cold embrace, the antediluvian remnants should be protected from Disbelief by the simple reason that no Sleeper has ever seen them deep beneath the waves. A few Mysterium ultra-idealists even believe that they could find the actual-factual ruins of Atlantis itself under the chill waters of the oceans, but these tend to end up empty-handed (or outright vanish, see below). An eccentric segment of the American Silver Ladder also believes that it could found a magical undersea utopia - a new Atlantis if you will - away from the prying eyes of Sleepers, a sort of "Galt's Gulch" run by mages, for mages where they could use their powers with much less bother about maintaining the secrecy of the Mysteries. Darkness Visible Of course, the oceans also worry Mages in numerous ways. Deep beneath the sea, Verges and other rifts between worlds open, unmonitored and unchecked. Strange things creep in the lightness depths, spirits of gargantuan squid and other deep sea-life horrifically hybridized with the ephemeral reflections of sunken ships not least among them. Abyssal horrors have been known to lurk in the darkest parts of deep sea trenches, and strange things unknown to man or magus crop up in expedition reports with worrying frequency. A typical tale is the Mysterium Cabal which called itself the Ferrymen of Oceanus, one of those who thought Atlantis itself might be drowned underwater. Exploring the depths of the South Pacific in 1997, they came upon something never before seen by man at 50 degrees south 100 west. The recording of their last transmission (later discerned to be from Thalia, an Obrimos known for her combat skills) makes for harrowing listening: ''Dead city. Underwater, kelp fronds. Green light all around me, ''wrong'' angles. There's no light but that pale eerie gleam. The buildings make New York skyscrapers look like matchsticks, disturbingly organic - almost some form of Gothic architecture, but the whole place looks like Geiger designed it. Idol buried in silt. No creature I ever saw. Will press on.'' '''' ''-Corridors messed up.'' ''Dry at least, but Space magic isn't working right. Low on mana, can't get out of maze. Carvings on walls hurt eyes. Depictions of human sacrifice, orgies, cannibalism - all intermingled. Need to get out.'' ''Eight-sided blocks tessellate. Can't get out. Something's behind me. Can't look back. Have to move on.'' '''' ''Spent three months here in this messed-up place. Can't remember it all, seems to slip away.'' ''No food or water but I eat and drink. This place messes up everything. ''Have to leave'', but don't remember how I entered. Must keep moving. He'll get me. She'll eat me ''all ''if I tarry.'' '''' ''The dead god's heart is black ice. He dreams, and this place is his dream. I disturbed him from his sleep, he's going to turn over. Pray he doesn't wake up.'' The recording cuts out after that last terrified sentence. The Ferrymen's ship was found floating 360 nautical miles west of where Thalia made her last transmission by Guardians of the Veil a week later, its crew completely and suddenly disappeared. Not even investigation by Masters of Space and Time gave any clue as to their whereabouts or even what had happened to strike them low. In 1997 Sleepers recorded a mysterious sound from the region the Ferrymen explored before their sudden disappearance. Unexplained by their science, they called it 'the Bloop' and recorded it as an anomaly. If whatever it is had anything to do with the case of the Ferrymen, Mages might watch the incoming tide a lot more nervously. Prometheans at Sea Risk and Reward Neptunus Transmutations Weather Eye (•, Sensorium) The smell of the sea air, the movement of the winds, the formation of the clouds. At sea life and death turns upon the weather, any sailor worth his salt would endeavor that they could read it's signs. Though thee Created are far more resistant to the torments of nature than humans they spend much of their life without a home and so they turn to this Transmutation. Those who take to the seas are always grateful that they can get an early warning when storms are brewing. Weather Eye makes use of the Promethean's regular senses and so it benefits from Transmutations that enhance those senses. Bloodhound's Nose and Firesight both grant a one die bonus with Rarefied Senses makes this a Rote Action. When rolling Weather eye the Promethean must say how far ahead they wish to look. They can look anywhere up to an hour at no penalty. Between one and two hours imposes a -1 penalty. Six hours at a -5 penalty is the furthest this Transmutation can reach. '''Cost:''' None '''Dice Pool:''' Wits + Science '''Dramatic Failure:''' The Promethean disastrously misjudges the upcoming weather. '''Failure:''' The attempt to predict the weather fails. '''Success:''' The Promethean correctly judges the weather, he learns approximate wind speed, wind direction, type and strength of any precipitation and the temperature for his current location from now until the time chosen when using this Transmutation. If the Promethean has a Skill who's effectiveness is closely tied to the weather he may roll Wits + Skill to determine how the weather will aid or hinder that skill. For example a Sailor could roll Wits + Drive or Wits + Survival to determine how dangerous it is to set sail. '''Exceptional Success:''' Chose one of: Wind speed, wind direction, type of precipitation, strength of precipitation, temperature. The Promethean gains exact information about that part of the weather. If the Promethean intends to roll a Skill he gains +3 on that roll. Shape of the Rokea (•••, Metamorphosis) By altering the shape of his body the Promethean can assume the form of a large shark like creature. In the murky depth she might be mistaken for an aquatic creature but in clear light her unnatural shape is obvious '''Prerequisites:''' Natural Weaponry (•) Blessing of Tethys (••) '''Cost:''' 2 Pyros '''Dice Pool:''' None '''Action:''' Instant The Promethean's legs fuse together while her feet stretch and thin into flippers. Her arms recede into the body leaving only the hands where the fingers combine to form fins. Her jaw stretches from ear to ear and grows several rows of razor sharp serrated teeth. In this form the Created has no hands and is incapable of performing any physical action beyond that of a shark. She retains human speech though it is likely to be distorted by her own throat and the water in which she swims. The Created looses her Defense during the turn of transformation. In shark form apply the following modifiers: +1 Strength, +1 on any Swimming rolls, +2 Speed in water and the Created uses her full speed when swimming. If the Promethean knows any one-dot Sensorium Transmutations she may activate them for free while using this Transmutation. While in this form Blessing of Tethys is always active, it's cost is included in this Transmutation. Finally her bite inflicts +1 lethal damage. If she knows the Mask Deception Transmutation she can use it to make herself appear to be a real, natural shark. She does not need to make a separate activation roll for that power or spend the requisite Pyros to do this. Shape of the Rokea does not increase a Promethean's resistance to the cold or pressure of the ocean, though the Created are better suited to it than most. A Created who intends to dive deep is advised to use Transmutations that provide Armour or the Weatherproof Merit. Changelings at Sea Risk and Reward After their long imprisonment the most unlucky of the Lost return home to find they are no longer welcome. The open sea whispers promises to those poor unfortunate souls. It promises a life far away from the society that rejected you, a life with not a single wall, just you and the boundless ocean as far as the eye can see. Turning dream to reality can be hard, not every changeling can survive at sea unaided. There's the need for licences, life at sea can be a harsh regimented existence driven by the necessitates of keeping a ship afloat. Yet if anyone can spin reality from dreams it's the Lost. Powerful changelings, masters of faerie sorceries, have set sail in boats spun from thorns and sea spray that need no crew. Motleys have kept ships funded and repaired though Pledges and Contracts alone while those with greater ambitions than mere existence use Pledges that define everyone's role. By nailing down the restrictions of a sailors life before the Wyrd they make the chains of necessity bearable, by splitting power and authority between various defined roles they hide their ships from the Gentry. Systems Surviving at Sea '''Breathing:''' The Tread of the Swift Hooves clause can allow a changeling to hold their breath for ten times the normal duration. Swimmerskins and Water-dwellers can both hold their breath underwater for an exceptional amount of time. Waterborn, or Swimmerskin and Water-dwellers with the Gills merit (see below) can breath underwater indefinitely. '''Vision:''' The clause Beast's Keen Senses applied to any deep sea life grants the changeling senses that work clearly underwater. Water-dwellers can naturally see underwater. Bright Ones can create their own illumination. '''Cold:''' Cloak of the Elements applied to water or Son of the Hearth protects the changeling from even the coldest waters. Son of the Hearth allows a changeling to protect his companions as well as himself. '''Pressure:''' Cloak of the Elements applied to water protects the changeling from even the harshest deep see pressures. '''Swimming:''' Tread of the Swift Hooves allows a changeling to swim as fast as she can run. Both Swimmerskins and Waterborn are naturally exceptional swimmers. Contracts '''Contracts of Elements and Communion:''' All Contracts with Water get +1 while on a boat at sea and +2 while underwater. Equal penalties are applied to Fire. While underwater most elements get a -1 penalty because little of the element is around. The Hedge Gates to the Hedge open as normal, providing the changeling can find an doorway or reflective surface to open. Weather conditions such as whirlpools or thick fogs might lead to the hedge. Old and skilled changeling sailors have been known to use vast arches, sea caves or even the struts of abandoned oil derricks big enough to sail a ship through as massive Hedge-gates . An ordinary ship has little chance of surviving long amongst the Thorns, but a Hedgespun craft could use these secret Trods to smuggle or launch pirate raids beneath the navy's watchful eye. Fae Merits, Magics, and Tokens Sovereignty of the Ship The sea is a harsh mistress and only strict discipline can keep a sailor alive. Since time before memory all understood that at sea the captain’s word is law, in time this belief became recognized by the Wyrd itself. While at sea any captain who's maintains authority over the ship is crowned by the Wyrd and may benefit from the sovereignty of the ship: For one glamour point she may instantly know one fact about physical goings on aboard her ship. "Are there any stowaways?", "How full are the water tanks?", or "Where is that cabin boy" are all valid questions. As master of her ship, acknowledged by the Wyrd itself, a Captain can make pledges which incorporate Fealty and Vassalage as Tasks. Wizened Kith: Sailor The crews and galley-slaves of the fae. So long as they're standing on their a vessel they crew they act in '''Partnership with the Craft''' gaining 9-again on all rolls related to sailing. In addition they never suffer from sea sickness or similar maladies. Merit: Gills (•••) '''Perquisite:''' Swimmerskin or Water-Dweller Some changelings have retained more of their aquatic durance than others. They return from Arcadia equally adapted for both land and water. Characters with this Merit can breath comfortably underwater. '''Drawback:''' The changeling's adaptation for the waves comes at a slight cost: The changeling is exceptionally susceptible to dehydration. In any environment where the air is completely dry, such as a desert, the changeling begins to suffer penalties as per the rules for Extreme Temperatures (see WoD Core p181). This stacks with the regular penalties for Temperature Extremes and can be prevented with appropriate contracts. The King's Shilling (Token ••••) This Token is a simple looking thing, it appears as an ancient worn coin bearing the profile of a long-dead king. It smells faintly of sea air, brine and cheap grog. Any changeling capable of sealing a Pledge incorporating the Fealty task can use The King's Shilling to trap the unwary into a pledge they never spoke. The monarch must activate The King's Shilling then create a pledge incorporating Fealty which is invested into the Shilling. When The King's Shilling is handed to another (they must voluntarily - if perhaps unwittingly - take it) the Pledge snaps shut as though they had agreed to it themselves. The Shilling cannot be given as part of a legitimate trade (unless that trade included service upon the ship that covers all terms of the Pledge) so Larceny may be required. Anyone who already has a Fealty pledge with the owner of The King's Shilling cannot be affected by this Token, they can be used as an intermediary to recruit others. '''Action:''' Instant '''Mien:''' When activated, the coin seems freshly minted and anyone holding it to their ear can hear its last owner giving orders. '''Drawback:''' '''Catch:''' Contacts of Ship and Sail (Wizened affinity-Contract) The Contracts of Ship and Sail enhance the bond between ship and her crew. Like the chain of command before the mast, higher levels of this contract require a higher position aboard to function, if a character looses their rank they retain any dots in the Contract but cannot use them until they regain their position. This is one of the oldest Contracts and isn't always suited for the realities of modern sailing. '''Steady As She Goes (•)''' The changeling can call upon the ship upon which she stands to guide her feet. '''Perquisite:''' Sailor. '''Cost:''' 1 Glamour '''Dice Pool:''' Athletics + Wyrd '''Action:''' Instant '''Duration:''' Scene '''Catch:''' The changeling has not set foot on land in the last three days or the changeling is of the Sailor Kith. '''Dramatic Failure: '''The changeling looses his footing at a disastrous moment. He may spill a barrel of dangerous lantern oil all over the deck or perhaps even fall overboard. '''Failure:''' The changeling fails to activate the clause. '''Success:''' The ship steadies itself beneath the changeling's foot. Loose objects tend to avoid him as he does his duties. Each Success reduces environmental penalties by one. '''Exceptional Success:''' The ship bends and twists under the changeling to help him on his way. For the rest of the Scene the changeling gets +1 to Athletics. '''All Together Lads (••)''' A ship must function as a well oiled machine, every man on board must know his roll and man his post to stay alive. With this clause a changeling can enhance their ability to work as a team. '''Prerequisite:''' Sailor Kith '''Cost:''' 1 Glamour '''Dice Pool:''' Socialize + Wyrd '''Action:''' Reflexive '''Duration:''' 1 Teamwork Action '''Catch:''' The changeling is singing a shanty along with at least half the people he intends to work with. '''Dramatic Failure: '''The changeling ends up causing trouble for everyone he works with, a -4 penalty for everyone contributing to the teamwork action. '''Failure:''' The changeling fails to activate the clause. '''Success:''' The changeling and his companions function in perfect harmony, gaining 9-again to the teamwork action. '''Exceptional Success:''' As above, but 8-again. ''' (•••)''' [WiP] '''Captain on Deck (••••)''' A skilled captain begets a skilled crew. On a ship organisation is matter of life and death, an inspiring leader can be the only thing that holds a crew together in the face of a fierce storm. With this Clause the character can empower an entire crew. To learn this Clause a character must hold ultimate authority on the ship. When the highest authority is shared, such as between a captain and a quarter master, only the character who is currently in charge may invoke Captain on Deck. '''Prerequisite:''' Captain or Quartermaster. '''Cost:''' 3 Glamour '''Dice Pool:''' Presence + Wyrd '''Action:''' Instant '''Duration:''' Wyrd Turns '''Catch:''' The character is wearing a fancy hat that is modified, custom tailored or otherwise uniquely his and has been for at least three months. '''Dramatic Failure:''' The changeling issues a disastrous order, chaos sweeps the deck as every sailor suffers -3 to his next action. A loss of respect is likely. '''Failure:''' The Clause fails to invoke. The changeling may have made an inspirational gesture that fell flat. '''Success:''' The captain organizes and encourages the crew granting every sailor a bonus equal to his Successes for Wyrd turns. This Clause may not be used again until it has naturally expired. '''Exceptional Success:''' In addition to the bonus every sailor also recovers a point of Willpower. This clause can never grant more than one point of Willpower a day. '''Master of the Ship (•••••)''' The captain asserts his authority over the ship itself. Rope animates like serpents and the very timber beneath his feet come to life, eager to obey their captains command. '''Prerequisite:''' Captain '''Cost:''' 3 Glamour + 1 Willpower '''Dice Pool:''' Presence + Wyrd '''Action:''' Instant '''Duration:''' Wyrd turns or Scene '''Catch:''' The captain invokes this Clause to oppose a mutiny. '''Dramatic Failure''': The ship rebels against the captain's harsh authority. For the rest of the scene it will make one grapple attempt against her per turn. '''Failure:''' For a few moments the ship comes to life, but it amounts to nothing more than waving rope and slamming doors. '''Success:''' The ship comes to life, gaining flexibility that should be impossible for solid wood or metal. Ropes will lash out while the deck will grow to surround people's feet. Once per turn, in addition to her normal action, she may designate one grapple attack against any creature that she can see and who is standing upon the ship. She may sacrifice her normal action for a second grapple attack, and her Defense for a third. The ship attacks with a dice pool of Wyrd + 1-3 equipment bonus for the material. Ropes are great, wood and metal less so. As an alternative to grappling the captain can also use her control over the ship to perform a single Instant Action at range with her normal dice pool. She could fire a cannon or steer the ship without moving a hand. She may supplement this action with up to Wyrd Reflexive Actions per turn, this is best using for opening doors, flipping switches and the like. The captain retains control over the ship for Wyrd turns. '''Exceptional Success''': The captain retains control of the ship for an entire Scene. New Entitlement: Divers of the Cerulean Pearl [by Super_Dave] '''Quote''': ''“Isn’t it a little late for a swim? Sorry, we didn’t mean to startle you. But you really shouldn’t be out here alone.”'' '''Titles''': Divers, Frogmen (informal), Master Divers '''Prerequisites''': Athletics ●●, Language (Sign Language) ●, Weaponry ●●, Sea-Blooded (see below) '''Concepts''': ''ama'' pearl-diver, aquatic saboteur, Coast Guard paramedic, coral-encrusted tour guide, grave robbing wreck-diver, retired Navy SEAL, risk-addicted freediver, underwater welder “Don’t play near the pond: a monster lives in it, and she likes to eat bad little children.” How many of us heard such warnings when we were young? Unfortunately, even exaggerated danger rarely keeps humans away from the water, and in the eyes of the Gentry, trespassing in their water is no less a crime than trespassing on their land. Sadly, aquatic manhunts are typically much shorter and cover much less territory than terrestrial ones. That’s where the Divers of the Cerulean Pearl come in. Emulating legendary heroes like Beowulf, Maui, Captain Stormalong, and countless others, Master Divers brave a world of crushing pressure and hidden currents to rescue humans stolen by aquatic hobgoblins, Huntsmen, and True Fae. The Divers also assist their freeholds in the Hedge (by maintaining underwater Trods, harvesting aquatic Goblin Fruits, and killing marine hobgoblins) and in the mortal world (by destroying or “liberating” smuggled cargoes, retrieving lost items from wrecked ships, and even the occasional act of maritime sabotage). '''Joining''': Changelings who have some obvious connection to water (such as a Fairest mermaid or a watery Elemental) can expect to be actively courted by the Divers, but those with less-direct connections are generally allowed to make the first move. In particular, the Divers keep their ears open for any changeling who was abducted by an aquatic True Fae, or lost a loved one to such: the Divers are not above dangling the possibility of revenge before a prospective recruit. Becoming a Diver of the Cerulean Pearl is fairly straightforward: one simply swears the oath before at least three other Master Divers, and undergoes a ceremonial “drowning” in either the sea or a major body of freshwater. '''Mien''': Divers frequently smell salty or fishy, and often appear to be dripping water. Features of aquatic animals and plants are commonplace, including wet hair braided with kelp or draped with sheets of algae; gills which ceaselessly open and close; rectangular octopoid pupils; nictitating membranes which blink unnervingly; and skin which always feels clammy. '''Background''': Divers are expected to be excellent swimmers with a high tolerance for risk, to know how to handle an aquatic weapon (diver’s knife, harpoon, trident, etc.), and to be able to communicate underwater via sign language. In addition, they also require that prospective members have some innate connection with water, or with the creatures, objects, and vehicles which live in and travel through it. Divers refer to these individuals as being “sea-blooded,” and consider this quality a prerequisite for membership (examples include aquatic or amphibious Beasts, bottom-feeding Darklings, watery Elementals, merfolk Fairests, maritime [https://campaign-39872.obsidianportal.com/wikis/mechanicals Mechanicals], Ogres of the Water-Dweller kith, and pressure-shrunken Wizened). That said, the Divers are willing to stretch this requirement in the interest of maintaining their membership. A Tunnelgrub might talk up his familiarity with the crushing darkness of the deep, while a Bright One might mention her similarity to the glowing monstrosities which live in the ocean’s deepest places. A Sandharrowed might gain admittance by claiming kinship with the seabed, and folklore is replete with water-dwelling Ogres. '''Organization''': Divers of the Cerulean Pearl organize themselves into independent teams; each team decides for itself which jobs it will take, but every Diver is expected to do everything in their power to rescue any other diver in danger (including mortals), even at great personal risk. '''Privileges''': Divers of the Cerulean Pearl gain two specialties upon joining: Occult (Water), and Science (Hydrology). Below is a Token available to all Divers of the Cerulean Pearl upon initiation. Aqualung (Token ●●) '''Mien''': Archaic SCUBA gear, worn and slightly corroded with many years of exposure to water, though all of its parts are in perfect working order. When activated it appears new-made to fae eyes, though an irregular tapping sound can be heard from inside it, as if a small crustacean were trying to escape the tank. '''Effect''': Normally, the Aqualung contains as much air as an average SCUBA set (about an hour’s worth, depending on the depth visited). When activated, the Aqualung magically fills with another hour’s worth of air, though this air feels hot and wet, as if a living creature were breathing straight into the user’s lungs. Repeated activation-costs are automatically incurred as the dive continues, until Glamour runs out or a Wyrd roll fails, at which point the character must begin holding his or her breath (see ''World of Darkness'' corebook, pg. 49). '''Drawback''': While an Aqualung is active, its user becomes intensely focused on the perfect attainment of the dive’s goal; any failure or mistake in attaining this goal, no matter how minor, might set them off. The user gains the Fixation derangement, or upgrades to Obsessive Compulsion, for the duration of the dive. '''Catch''': The Aqualung will automatically refill itself with air, without Glamour expenditure or a Wyrd roll, but at the price of an acute case of decompression sickness (“the bends”) upon emerging from the dive, which deals three points of bashing damage. This damage occurs regardless of depth attained, and cannot be prevented or healed by supernatural means. '''Rumors of the Divers:''' * Ever since one local Diver scavenged a wreck in which all hands were drowned, the freehold has been haunted by the watery dead. The current monarch is demanding that the Diver in question return the stolen booty, but the Diver says that’s impossible: he’s already sold or traded most of it away! * Despite their bravery, Frogmen are intensely superstitious, refusing to dive from any vessel which has flowers, pennies, or bananas onboard, or in the presence of whistling; no outsider knows why, and the Divers refuse point-blank to discuss the subject. * An explosion on a deep-sea oil rig has resulted in a vast black tide of deadly crude oil, which is making its inexorable way towards the coastline. Submersibles have been unable to plug the well, which is gushing thousands of gallons of crude every hour. A senior Diver has made the shocking claim that these efforts are being sabotaged by Loyalists bent on reshaping nearby waters to make them more hospitable for their secret master, a pollution-based True Fae known as “[https://piratesofdarkwater.fandom.com/wiki/The_Dark_Dweller The Dark Dweller]”. Are these accusations true, or simply fear-mongering on the Divers’ part? Sin-Eaters at Sea Risk and Reward Systems Surviving at Sea '''Breathing:''' A Sin-Eater can breathe underwater with just a single dot of the Tear-Stained Shroud. The Primeval Caul allows the Sin-Eater to turn into an aquatic animal at four dots. '''Vision:''' Short of turning into a fish with the Primeval Caul or bonding her flesh to advanced cameras with the Industrial Caul a Sin-Eater has no extra senses that work below water better than their normal ones. Sin-Eaters can however create their own light with the Pyre-Flame Caul or the Pyre-Flame Shroud (assuming they're not using the Tear-Stained Shroud to breath at the time) '''Cold:''' While the Cold Wind Shroud will protect a Sin-Eater from any cold but it cannot be used with the Tear-Stained Key. To survive freezing ocean temperatures a Sin-Eater would have to get more creative: The Pyre-Flame Caul heats his body while the Cold-Wind Caul removes the need for heat entirely. The Primeval Caul can be used to turn into a creature adapted for the cold or the Industrial Caul could put an electric heater inside his chest. '''Pressure:''' Any Shroud will provide Armour that protects against pressure while the Primeval Caul turn the Sin-Eater into a creature that is naturally adapted for high pressure environments. '''Swimming:''' The Tear-Stained key provides a bonus to swimming rolls equal to the Sin-Eaters Activation Successes but dose not actually increase her speed. If she wants more she will have to transform herself with the Primeval Caul. Hunters at Sea Hunters are like any mortal at sea, meaning they drown, they die of exposure, and if the local predators are hungry well, they'd better have Roy Scheider, a scuba tank, and a rifle ready. To make things worse, the monsters usually have a special ability or magic to help them survive the freezing waters or help them communicate with the waters and sea creatures. The advantage, though, is numbers. A single vampire has no chance against a ship full of humans, especially when one of those humans can teach the others to fight. Risk and Reward The risk is obvious; the sea is still incredibly dangerous to your baseline human being. Ships are lost from storms, malfunction, even piracy in more lawless areas. Further on the scale of bizarre, and you have the creatures that are supposed to be mythical or cryptozoological. It's also rare for a ship to be crewed solely by hunters, as the laws and regulations regarding international shipping means that, unless it's a warship, lethal weapons are not allowed. Crews can be seized for their actions in other ports, and often the lifeblood of any ship is economic. Fishing boats and cargo ships suffer when business takes a downturn, and their crews have to put the Vigil on hold if they can't afford it. Where's the reward? Information. While most fighting against the darkness is on land, scientifically minded hunters can attempt to find evidence of stranger creatures. The common phrase is that we know more about the farthest stars than the deepest seas, and it's true. Occasionally a lucky hunt by a "private expedition" will find new species thought either extinct of impossible. Only their discoveries often result in a hasty escape and a loss of some of the data. Conspiracies are often the most capable of raising a crew of their own to find certain aquatic threats, while compacts and lone cells must either deal with unknowing civilians or even the risk that one of their crew might be a trojan horse, if not an enemy themselves. The sheer variety of creatures on the open seas means that a sailing hunter is often wholly in the pocket of nautical superstition. Women never come on their ships, except in the most dire cases. A red sky in the morning automatically means locking down everything that isn't essential. Systems Surviving at Sea Mummies at Sea Risk and Reward At first glance, it would appear that Mummies have few reasons to go to sea; but what is an ocean if not a desert with dunes of water? Like any respectable empire, Irem had numerous trading partners, and their ships were subject to the occasional wreck like any mortal vessel. Sometimes the Arisen or their cults have cause to search beneath the waves for lost artifacts and sunken ruins, especially in the Red and eastern Mediterranean seas. Systems Surviving at Sea Demons at Sea Risk and Reward Systems Surviving at Sea Beasts at Sea Risk and Reward The chance to meet the Dark Mother in her natural habitat is an opportunity which few of the Family want to pass up. Whenever someone reports a sighting of the Dark Mother off the coast of such-and-such place, there are inevitably a few drifters who pop up in town, hoping to catch a glimpse of their own. Systems Surviving at Sea Leviathans at Sea Risk and Reward The Wicked Tribe are naturally suited to a life at sea, from their watery ancestry to their hideous Transformations. New Leviathans with high Morality sometimes take to the sea in an effort to avoid imposing the Wake on mortals; this works for a time, but without regular human contact, they eventually lose all Tranquility and become Typhons, attacking passing ships and gobbling up delicious islanders until they attract the attention of the Marduk Society. Followers of the School of the Abyss are frequently found exploring the surface, depths, and silty bottom of the sea for lost civilizations, strange beasts, and forgotten gateways. More than a few Leviathans have, when forced by circumstance to relocate, moved their entire cults ''en masse'' to previously-uninhabited islands: some of these miniature societies prosper and multiply away from the watchful eyes of mortal authorities, but many more descend into madness, violence, inbreeding, and cannibalism. Systems Surviving at Sea Geniuses at Sea Risk and Reward The sea has many traits which appeal to the Illuminated. If your lab floats, it's that much easier to pull up stakes and move when the authorities come knocking to ask about all the spare organs that went missing from the local hospital. The fact that there are relatively few laws which have jurisdiction in international waters is another major draw for low-Obligation Geniuses and the unmada. Various baramins built more than a few undersea cities which they hoped to fashion into utopias, but all were abandoned all when Lemuria fell. Some were destroyed during the Invisible War, others were reclaimed by the Peerage, but a handful remained untouched and undisturbed by the outside world for decades. Who ''knows'' what those societies might look like nowadays?! Freed from stifling constraints of Law and Morality, have they ascended to technological near-godhood? Or have they devolved into aquatic Morlocks, scurrying and snuffling their way through leaky tunnels and smoke-darkened domes, seeking anything edible and worshiping kelp? Systems Surviving at Sea Cooking up an automatic air-recycler or a miniaturized fission-mask which breaks H2O into oxygen and hydrogen is a only a minor inconvenience for any Genius with more than a few dots in Metaptropi. Skafoi can cook up some truly bizarre methods of underwater travel: everything from pressure-proof bubbles of transparent steel to living submarines made from hollowed-out whales. With help from Prostasia, little things like ''millions upon millions of tons of crushing pressure per square inch'' are no longer obstacles to exploration and colonization. Magical Girls at Sea Risk and Reward Some of the Nobility, particularly Clubs and/or Seekers with naturalistic tendencies, take it upon themselves to act as protectors of the seas and other waters. They might fill the role of Water of an elemental-themed nakama, or they may simply recognize the vast importance of water in human lives and livelihoods (to say nothing of its inherent beauty and mystery). More than a few were obsessed with mermaids prior to their Blossoming, and their Regalia always reflects this. Systems Surviving at Sea Sirens at Sea Risk and Reward Systems Surviving at Sea =